GRACEFULZEN BLOG

I lunched with a recently widowed friend, hoping she would benefit from activity after the death of her long-time spouse. I was newly acquainted with this friend in mourning. As she described the mourning practices of her Jewish faith, I was transported back to my six-year-old view of my own mother’s widowhood. My father just …

When I moved to Southern California last year, I noticed the abundance of winter birds. They, like me, were here for the winter sun. I put out many different feeders in my yard–for big birds, hummingbirds and little birds, and then I waited to see if my dining invitation would appeal to my potential friends. …

Many of us have made a Bodhisattva Vow to “I vow to save all beings.” OMG–this is so exhausting! And where am I in this endless process? I propose the Pre-Bodhisattva vow: I vow to be happy. I have discovered that is is very difficult–if not impossible– to do much good for anyone when I …

Naked in the Zendo is now ready for purchase, but perhaps I have some explaining to do. Why “NAKED?” Am I suggesting some naked orgy as part of Zen practice? I’m sure this is a great way to expand the audience for formal Zen practice, but that is not exactly what I had in mind. …

How do we continue Buddhist practice and let go of the desired (and very righteous) outcome in these daily drama filled eventful politics? There is so much suffering and purposeful cruelty–so much at stake for so many vulnerable people. We can’t do nothing; we can’t just let go of thoughts and emotions. What to do? …

Just Don’t Make your suffering Worse I woke up exhausted this morning. After 3 years of watching the horror called American Politics, I am looking for sustenance to continue. What is the truth, and how can I help. I remember my Zen sister and mentor Maylie Scott repeating the words of Myoon Maurine Stuart Roshi: “Just …

This is an excerpt of “Forum: Hear Our Voices”, a conversation with Myokei Caine-Barrett, Narayan Helen Liebenson, Rebecca Li, and Myoan Grace Schireson about their experiences and insights into being a female teacher and leader, moderated by Pema Khandro Rinpoche. Fall Issue of Buddhadharma and in Lion’s Roar August 21, 2019. Read the full conversation here. Pema …

An unpublished scene from Zen Women, p.192, in which the head monk at Dahui’s monastery, Wanan, asks Miaozong “What kind of a place is this?” And she answers to reveal the source of Buddhism: “All of the  Buddhas of the three worlds, the six patriarchs and all the great monks everywhere—they all come out from …

This is part 1 of a 2-part blog post of my article THE PROMISE AND PERIL OF BUDDHIST MEDITATION forthcoming in Psychoanalytic inquiry (2020). The word peril evokes for me the “Perils of Pauline.” Pauline, our tortured heroine, is tied to the railroad tracks with a fast approaching train promising her gruesome and speedy demise. …

This is part 2 of a 2-part blog post of my article THE PROMISE AND PERIL OF BUDDHIST MEDITATION forthcoming in Psychoanalytic inquiry (2020). Religious Beliefs and Inadequate Cultural Understanding of Teacher and Training      As Buddhism has migrated to the West, the image of the teachers or gurus, lamas, rinpoches, and roshis has been …

BY ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX, AUTHOR OF STANDING AT THE EDGE Buddhist women’s voices can tend to be subdued in and sometimes even absent from public conversation. Not so with Roshi Grace Schireson. Her forthrightness, her strength, her humor, and her wisdom are threads that weave this marvelous book into a powerful tapestry of insight, inspiration, …

Through January 31, 2020: Use this 30% off coupon code! Code valid on the Shambala website here through January 31, 2020. Enter code in shopping cart. Cannot be combined with other offers. Code: ZENDO30 A note about this discount code from the publisher: It is best for people in the US and Canada. International shipping is …

My book cover to Zen Women inspired this protest sign! (Note the little face on the bull below).

This post was originally published as “Who Was Otagaki Rengetsu?” in Lion’s Roar, April 11, 2019. Her pottery, inscribed with her poems, has a down-to-earth appeal coupled with a sublime beauty. Her elegant calligraphy, done in the curvaceous women’s script known as hiragana—more emotionally accessible than classical Chinese characters—touches us through its simplicity. But it is …

Note: This is an excerpt of “BUDDHIST LEADERS CONDEMN CHILD SEPARATION AT US-MEXICO BORDER” – Read the full article in Tricycle Magazine, June 2018 Buddhist teachers explain why they joined the more than 200 others who signed a petition calling for an end to the “morally unconscionable” policy. This week more than 200 Western Buddhist …

This is an excerpt from “Making Our Way: On Women and Buddhism”, a conversation where Grace Schireson, Christina Feldman, Rita Gross, and Lama Palden Drolma discuss how women are defining new roles as Buddhist leaders, teachers, and practitioners, with an introduction by Sandy Boucher. This was originally published and in Lion’s Roar March 1, 2016. …